Humans perceive the real world through two views obtained by both eyes, using so-called stereoscopic vision. The human brain interprets the two views, generates space distance from the views and thus forms a 3-D vision. A 3-D displaying method is the method for simulating the stereoscopic observing process.
There are basically two types of three-dimensional (3-D) display methods: auto-stereoscopic display and stereoscopic display. Auto-stereoscopic display is a type of method in which the observers do not need wear special glasses to view a 3-D image. This type of method usually has limitations such as a narrow functional view angle and small functional view region.
Stereoscopic display is a type of method where the observers need wear special glasses to obtain a 3-D view. Early techniques utilized colored filters and color-tinted images to separate left and right images to produce a 3-D effect. More modern approaches use polarized light to deliver the stereoscopic images and using correspondingly polarizing glasses to separate the stereoscopic images to different eyes, by which the image is viewed. This type of method usually requests the two images to be overlapped so that the brain may interpret them as they are from the same scene.
A number of 3-D imaging systems using polarization are known in the art. Faris, U.S. Pat. No. 6,359,664, issued Mar. 19, 2002, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses an electro-optical display system for 3-D stereoscopic imaging. Faris imparts polarization to light emanating from optically transparent patterns using a micro-polarizer, to form polarized spatially multiplexed image. Faris, U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,553, issued May 13, 2003, also incorporated herein by reference, discloses an electro-optical image display system for a laptop computer. This device includes an array of electrically active and passive cholesteric liquid crystal elements, which are arranged in logic tree form to steer the electromagnetic beam. However, it appears that Faris uses a electrically “passive” circular polarization filter to achieve his micro-polarization regions.
Vrex (Reveo) appears to now own the Faris Patents. A complete timeline of their 3-D imaging development may be found at: http://www.vrex.com/about/timeline.shtml. The only product for creating a 3-D display from an LCD screen appears to be a clip-on “micropol” screen (See, http://www.vrex.com/products/_download/vrex_mp_kit.pdf, incorporated herein by reference) attached externally to a laptop computer or the like. It would be more effective from a packaging and cost perspective to offer a 3-D technology integrated into the LCD panel itself.
Kwon, Published U.S. Patent Application 2002/0145682, published Mar. 19, 2002, discloses a stereoscopic liquid crystal display device, which has a liquid crystal polymer film with first and second micro-polarizing regions, and a first polarizing plate. Kwon also discloses the use of a common electrode for his device. Kwon discloses a LCD stereoscopic display using “micro-polarizing” regions, which appear to polarize different portions of the display. Unlike Faris, it appears that Kwon uses a Liquid Crystal device for polarization (See paragraph [0030]). In addition, Kwon describes the use of two polarization plates and a common electrode plate
Referring to FIG. 4 of Kwon, Kwon uses a typical LCD structure, if you remove layer 104. However, like Faris, uses a passive polarizing film to create the left and right images for display. Layer 104 is a liquid crystal polymer film, which is a newer material. The status of the liquid crystal molecules in the polymer base may be altered and locked using UV light or other method to create a polarizable film. Kwon uses this material to make his dual polarization layer which despite its name is a passive polarization layer as in Faris.
Tomono, Published U.S. Patent Application 2003/0067563, published Apr. 10, 2003, discloses a 2-D and 3-D changeable display, which has liquid crystal layer with plate having a matrix of fine holes. This matrix appears to be removable to convert between 2-D and 3-D display. Tomono is similar to Reveo in that it provides a removable screen to convert to 3-D display.
Yamazaki, U.S. Pat. No. 6,348,957, issued Feb. 19, 2002, discloses a direct viewing type LCD device—in which layout processing is performed to two groups of LC layer, where corresponding first and second images are formed.
While the Prior Art devices may have some success in generating 3-D displays, it remains a requirement in the art to provide a display which may generate both 2-D and 3-D images without having to install or remove screens or polarizing films or the like. Moreover, it remains a requirement in the art to provide a display, which may generate both 2-D and 3-D images as opposed to a dedicated 3-D display. In addition, it remains a requirement in the art to provide a 2-D/3-D display, which may be integrated into an LCD flat panel display to realize a compact size and inexpensive construction.